UEFA is planning major rule changes to football 😳⁉️ These updates could have a big impact on Arsenal next season 🤯

UEFA is currently reviewing the newly introduced Champions League format as the competition approaches the semi-final stage. This season marked the first use of the expanded 36-team league system, replacing the traditional group stage. While the changes aimed to improve competitiveness and excitement, they have also raised concerns among clubs and stakeholders, prompting UEFA to consider further modifications for the upcoming season.

 

To gather comprehensive feedback, UEFA is actively consulting clubs across Europe. A meeting of the UEFA Club Competitions Committee, which includes influential figures like Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director Fernando Carro, is scheduled for May 30 in Munich. This committee will be tasked with discussing potential adjustments and crafting proposals to present to UEFA’s executive committee.

 

Once the Club Competitions Committee finalizes its recommendations, the proposals will be submitted to the UEFA executive committee, headed by Borussia Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. This executive body holds the authority to approve or reject any changes, making their decisions crucial in shaping the Champions League’s future structure.

 

Among the proposed changes is the potential removal of extra time during the knockout rounds. If approved, matches that remain tied after 90 minutes would proceed directly to penalty shootouts. This adjustment is intended to address the physical demands placed on players, considering the increasingly congested match schedules that have raised widespread concerns about player welfare.

 

Another proposed alteration concerns the allocation of home advantage during the knockout stages. Currently, higher-ranked teams in the league phase only benefit from hosting the second leg of the Round of 16. UEFA is considering extending this privilege to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, granting the top eight teams home advantage for their decisive return legs.

 

This suggestion follows complaints from clubs like Arsenal, who, despite finishing third in the league phase, had to play their quarter-final second leg away at Real Madrid’s stadium. Although Arsenal overcame the challenge, the situation revealed inconsistencies in the current system. Similarly, PSG will enjoy home advantage in their semi-final despite finishing 15th, highlighting the need for a fairer method.

 

UEFA is also contemplating reinstating the “country protection” rule, which previously prevented teams from the same nation from facing each other in early knockout rounds. Under the current format, domestic matchups have occurred earlier, prompting concerns about the variety and appeal of fixtures. Restoring this rule would aim to preserve greater diversity in the competition’s initial knockout stages.

 

The outcome of these deliberations could significantly impact the future landscape of the Champions League. With European clubs and fans worldwide closely watching, the decisions made in the coming months are expected to either reaffirm UEFA’s new direction or steer the competition back toward more traditional structures.